Mr. Reed (for himself,
Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Warren, and Mr.
Cowan) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the
Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources

June 27, 2013

Reported by Mr. Wyden,
without amendment

A BILL

To establish the Blackstone River Valley National
Historical Park, to dedicate the Park to John H. Chafee, and for other
purposes.

1.

Short
title

This Act may be cited as
the Blackstone River Valley National
Historical Park Establishment Act.

2.

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to establish the
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park—

(1)

to help preserve,
protect, and interpret the nationally significant resources that exemplify the
industrial heritage of the Blackstone River Valley for the benefit and
inspiration of future generations;

(2)

to support the
preservation, protection, and interpretation of the urban, rural, and
agricultural landscape features (including the Blackstone River and Canal) of
the region that provide an overarching context for the industrial heritage of
the Blackstone River Valley;

(3)

to educate the
public about—

(A)

the nationally
significant sites and districts that convey the industrial history of the
Blackstone River Valley; and

(B)

the significance
of the Blackstone River Valley to the past and present of the United States;
and

(4)

to support and
enhance the network of partners in the protection, improvement, management, and
operation of related resources and facilities throughout the John H. Chafee
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.

3.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

National
heritage corridor

The term National Heritage
Corridor means the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National
Heritage Corridor.

(2)

Park

The
term Park means the Blackstone River Valley National Historical
Park established under section 4.

(3)

Secretary

The
term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.

(4)

States

The
term States means—

(A)

the State of
Massachusetts; and

(B)

the State of
Rhode Island.

4.

Blackstone river
valley national historical park

(a)

Establishment

There
is established in the States a unit of the National Park System, to be known as
the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.

(b)

Historic sites
and districts

The Park shall include—

(1)

Blackstone River
State Park; and

(2)

the following
resources, as described in Management Option 3 of the study entitled
Blackstone River Valley Special Resource Study—Study Report
2011:

(A)

Old Slater Mill
National Historic Landmark District.

(B)

Slatersville
Historic District.

(C)

Ashton Historic
District.

(D)

Whitinsville
Historic District.

(E)

Hopedale Village
Historic District.

(F)

Blackstone River
and the tributaries of Blackstone River.

(G)

Blackstone
Canal.

(c)

Acquisition of
land; park boundary

(1)

Land
acquisition

The Secretary may acquire land or interests in land
that are considered contributing historic resources in the historic sites and
districts described in subsection (b)(2) for inclusion in the Park boundary by
donation, purchase from a willing seller with donated or appropriated funds, or
exchange.

(2)

Park
boundary

On a determination by the Secretary that a sufficient
quantity of land or interests in land has been acquired to constitute a
manageable park unit, the Secretary shall establish a boundary for the Park by
publishing a boundary map in the Federal Register.

(3)

Other
resources

The Secretary may include in the Park boundary any
resources that are the subject of an agreement with the States or a subdivision
of the States entered into under subsection (d)(4).

(4)

Boundary
adjustment

On the acquisition of additional land or interests in
land under paragraph (1), or on entering an agreement under paragraph (3), the
boundary of the Park shall be adjusted to reflect the acquisition or agreement
by publishing a Park boundary map in the Federal Register.

(5)

Availability of
map

The maps referred to in this subsection shall be available
for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park
Service.

(6)

Administrative
facilities

The Secretary may acquire not more than 10 acres in
Woonsocket, Rhode Island for the development of administrative, curatorial,
maintenance, or visitor facilities for the Park.

(7)

Limitation

Land
owned by the States or a political subdivision of the States may be acquired
under this subsection only by donation.

(d)

Administration

(1)

In
general

The Secretary shall administer land within the boundary
of the Park in accordance with—

(A)

this section;
and

(B)

the laws
generally applicable to units of the National Park System, including—

the River Bend
Farm/Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, Uxbridge,
Massachusetts;

(v)

the
Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center, located at the former Washburn Moen
wire mill facility, Worcester, Massachusetts;

(vi)

the Route 295
Visitor Center adjacent to Blackstone River State Park; and

(vii)

the Blackstone
River Bikeway.

(3)

Related
sites

The Secretary may provide technical assistance, visitor
services, interpretive tours, and educational programs to sites and resources
in the National Heritage Corridor that are located outside the boundary of the
Park and associated with the purposes for which the Park is established.

(4)

Cooperative
agreements

(A)

In
general

To further the purposes of this section and
notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may
enter into cooperative agreements with the States, political subdivisions of
the States, nonprofit organizations (including Blackstone River Valley National
Heritage Corridor, Inc.), and other interested parties—

(i)

to provide
technical assistance, interpretation, and educational programs in the historic
sites and districts described in subsection (b)(2); and

(ii)

subject to the
availability of appropriations and subparagraphs (B) and (C), to provide not
more than 50 percent of the cost of any natural, historic, or cultural resource
protection project in the Park that is consistent with the general management
plan prepared under paragraph (2).

(B)

Matching
requirement

As a condition of the receipt of funds under
subparagraph (A)(ii), the Secretary shall require that any Federal funds made
available under a cooperative agreement entered into under this paragraph are
to be matched on a 1-to-1 basis by non-Federal funds.

(C)

Reimbursement

Any
payment made by the Secretary under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be subject to an
agreement that the conversion, use, or disposal of the project for purposes
that are inconsistent with the purposes of this section, as determined by the
Secretary, shall result in a right of the United States to reimbursement of the
greater of—

(i)

the
amount provided by the Secretary to the project under subparagraph (A)(ii);
or

(ii)

an
amount equal to the increase in the value of the project that is attributable
to the funds, as determined by the Secretary at the time of the conversion,
use, or disposal.

(D)

Public
access

Any cooperative agreement entered into under this
paragraph shall provide for reasonable public access to the resources covered
by the cooperative agreement.

(e)

Dedication;
memorial

(1)

In
general

Congress dedicates the Park to John H. Chafee, the former
United States Senator from Rhode Island, in recognition of—

(A)

the role of John
H. Chafee in the preservation of the resources of the Blackstone River Valley
and the heritage corridor that bears the name of John H. Chafee; and

(B)

the decades of
the service of John H. Chafee to the people of Rhode Island and the United
States.

(2)

Memorial

The
Secretary shall display a memorial at an appropriate location in the Park that
recognizes the role of John H. Chafee in preserving the resources of the
Blackstone River Valley for the people of the United States.

5.

John H. Chafee
blackstone river valley national heritage corridor amendments

in the first
sentence of section 2 (110 Stat. 4202), by striking the map entitled
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Boundary Map,
numbered BRV–80–80,011, and dated May 2, 1993 and inserting the
map entitled John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage
Corridor—Proposed Boundary, numbered 022/111530, and dated November 10,
2011;